The largest island in Dalmatia with the highest mountain peak of all Croatian islands on Vidova Gora (Vitus Mount) with a truly breathtaking view. Island Brač is surrounded by beautiful bays and land is covered in pine and cypress trees. Brač is known for its white stone marble used by the Romans as well, the stone was used to build Diocletian’s palace in Split, an UN building in New York and even the White House in Washington and it is a big part of the island’s heritage. While on the island you will be able to purchase amazing souvenirs made of the white stone. Brač is full of beautiful small towns and villages to enjoy while visiting. They are all rich in cultural and historical heritage but it is most known for the Zlatni rat (Golden horn) beach in Bol. It is a sandy beach with a shape of a triangle and the peak changes position due to the wind and sea current. This island truly is unique in its gastronomy and the locals will make you feel like at home.
Additional Info Information About Island Brač
Airport and transport – a catamaran (from Bol and Milna) and a ferry (from Supetar) to Split (around 15 km) and Makarska (around 10 km); Airports on Brac and Split; regular bus connections between all the villages of the island.
History – archaeological findings from the Paleolithic; in the Bronze Age and Iron Age, Illyrian tribes populated the inner parts of the island; quality of stone from the island was recognized by Romans already in 3rd century and transported for the construction of the Diocletian’s Palace in Split; the parish court (in Pucisca) keep the famous Povaljska listina (13th century; the oldest preserved document written in Croatian Cyrillic on Croatian language); in 1516 the first private school on the island was established in Pucisca.
Interesting to see: early Christian mosaics (Supetar; 6th century); church of St. Luke (Supetar; 11th-12th century); church of Mary Annunciation (Supetar; 18th century); remains of the biggest Christian Basilica on the island (Povlja; 5th-6th century); church of St. Jerolim (Pucisca; 16th century); church of St. Ciprian (Gornji Humac; 11th century); church of St. Ante (Gornji Humac; 15th century); church of Blessed Virgin Mary (Stomorna; 13th century); house-fortress of Jakov Natalis-Bozicevic (Sutivan; 16th century); the castle Kastil Marijanovic (Sutivan; 17th century); summer cottage of Kavanjin with a baroque garden (Sutivan; 17th century); church of St. Ivan and St. Tudor (Bol; 11th century); the residence of the bishop (Bol; 12th century); church Madonna of Graces (Bol; 15th-17th century); the fortified gothic summer palace (Bol; 15th-16th century); Dominican Monastery (Bol; 16th century); the renaissance and baroque palace (Bol; 17th century); church Madonna of Karmel (Bol; 18th century); ruins of a large early Christian basilica (Postira; 5th-6th century); the parish church (Postira; 16th century); baroque church (Milna; 18th century with the most beautiful altar on the island).
Info – the third biggest islands on Croatian coast; coastline 180 km; 22 settlements; 13 125 inhabitants; highest peak Mount of St. Vid, 778 m (makes it the highest island in the Adriatic Sea); more than 2700 hours of sunshine per year (one of the sunniest islands of Croatia); beginnings of organized tourism started in 1923 in Bol; famous quarries of the island of Brac have been a source of stone for building decorative stonework for centuries (Romans used it to build cities, amphitheaters, temples, palaces and graves all over Dalmatia; stone was used in the construction of the White House (in Washington, D.C., USA) and Diocletian’s Palace in Split).
Happenings: Cultural Summer-festival (concerts of classical, pop and jazz music, performance of klapa (traditional a-capella music), exhibitions, well-known guest theatres, lectures, promotion of books, literature evenings, and various sports-events); International Summer Music-school; Summer Music-festival.
Where to go out: excellent restaurants, taverns, coffee bars, cake-shops, discotheques.
Inevitable to see: the Park of nature Sutivan; Blaca Desert (once a famous Glagolitic place; elevated along high, steep cliff); Dragon’s cave and its reliefs (in Murvice; the first-class monument of the cave monastery life of Glagolitic priests in the 15th century); Stone-mason school; Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn; in Bol; gravelly pebbled beach; the most beautiful in Croatia; total length of some 15 km; a unique phenomenon; stretches into the open sea in the shape of a tongue, with its tip changing the form and side, according to the direction of winds, waves and gentle sea currents; a rumor has it that this is the only beach in the world that runs vertical to the coast).
Inevitable to taste: the Brac lambs that have not yet tasted grass; local specialties (vitalac; butalac; janjeci tingul; lamb in “teca”); exquisite wines of Brac (the famous “Bolski Plavac”); Dalmatian prosciutto; Brac cheese; Procip (made of fresh cheese, not older than 24 hours, which is cut into slices and baked in caramelized sugar); a traditional drink smutica (4/5 of fresh goat’s milk and 1/5 of red wine; legend tells that it was recommended by Hippocrates himself); olive oil (the biggest producer in Dalmatia).
Good to know: Brac is famous for its excellent local stone (many palaces throughout the world have been built with the local stone from the renaissance age until today; e.g. White House (in Washington, D.C., USA); the first monument in the world dedicated to Russian writer Lav Tolstoj was established in Selca in 1911; poisonous snake (the ashen horned viper); Brač produces about half of the Dalmatian olive oil production.
